general problems of the 2023 Ford F-150 - part 1

2024 Ford F-150 lightning complete instrument cluster blackout while driving. Screen goes entirely black intermittently, lasting up to 30 minutes. Occurs while vehicle is in motion. Issue persists even after stopping and restarting vehicle. Loss of speedometer, battery state of charge, warning lights, and all driver information. This creates unsafe driving conditions with no way to monitor speed or critical vehicle systems.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers : 25v512000 (power train) and 26v104000 (electrical system, exterior lighting); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear axle shaft assemblies had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available for the repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The failure mileage was unavailable.

I am reporting a significant safety defect regarding the integrated rear light bar on my vehicle. The component initially developed visible stress cracks across the housing. This has now progressed to a total electrical failure of the unit. The light bar serves as a primary housing for the vehicle's brake lights and reverse lights. These lights no longer illuminate. This is a critical safety concern as it leaves the vehicle without functional signaling for stopping or reversing, significantly increasing the risk of a rear-end collision, especially at night or in low-visibility conditions.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v896000 (power train) and 26v104000 (electrical system, exterior lighting); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact was informed that parts needed to be ordered and was later informed that parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were expected to be available in the third quarter of 2026. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 25v512000 (power train) and 26v104000 (exterior lighting, electrical system); however, the parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change. The contact was informed by the dealer that a hub bolt had detached from the vehicle. The contact was informed by the dealer that the hub bolt had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that parts were not available and were on backorder. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph and hauling a trailer, the rear brake lights failed to illuminate. There were several messages displayed related to the trailer connection and brake lights. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the trailer was difficult to control, and the display screen inside the vehicle was flashing off and on. The vehicle was driven back to a storage facility. While reversing and attempting to park the trailer, the message that the trailer was disconnected from the vehicle was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted and informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 26v104000 (electrical system, exterior lighting). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

? highlight summary: my 2023 Ford F-150 (VIN: [xxx] ) has intermittent rear tail lamps, brake lights, turn signals, and backup lights failure due to water intrusion. The right side has completely failed; the left side is beginning to fail, creating a serious safety hazard at night or in low visibility. Both the dealership and Ford customer assistance have avoided returning calls and are denying responsibility, and this is a common problem nationwide. ? complaint – 2023 Ford F-150 rear lighting failure •vehicle: 2023 Ford F-150, VIN [xxx] , ~73,000 miles •issue: intermittent rear tail lamps, brake lights, turn signals, and backup lights failure due to water intrusion •right side: completely failed; left side: starting to fail •safety risk: creates serious hazard at night/low visibility, increasing risk of rear-end collisions •dealership: d-patrick Ford superstore, evansville, indiana, e. Walnut st. •initially could not duplicate issue •Feb 7, 2026: confirmed problem, quoted ~$3,000 for repair •truck returned “all lights working,” but right side still not functioning •manufacturer & dealership response: Ford customer assistance and dealership are denying responsibility and avoiding calls, leaving the defect unresolved nearly a year •nationwide problem: common issue reported by many F-150 owners, indicating widespread safety defect •request: immediate review and corrective action for this recurring and escalating safety hazard information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Rear taillight assembly filled with water due to a crack. The water caused the bulb to burn out. Dealer tried to get Ford to cover the taillamp and the manufacturer denied the claim stating the crack was not a flaw in manufacturing. The dealer also said that they have seen several of these where the manufacturer wont cover this component under the bumper to bumper warranty. This assembly has never been tampered with, the truck has not been in an accident. The failure of this taillight is likely caused by over torqueing at assy at the plant. Besides being costly this is a safety hazard when brake lights and taillights fail. Also. . This assembly I find out houses the module for the blind spot monitor.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the taillights, running lights, and indicators were inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. Upon further research, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v418000 (exterior lighting). The local dealer was contacted, the vehicle was visually inspected, but the vehicle was not officially diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 71,842.

The driver side headlamp did not work. I noticed both left and right headlamps had moisture inside. I took my truck to the dealership and they told me I would have to get an appointment for them to take digital images of the headlamps to send to Ford motor. So they sent me home with only one headlamp in working order. I made the appointment. It took 2hrs to get the digital images. A crack appeared at the bottom of each headlamp at the exact same spot. I left the dealership the second time with only one headlamp working. 24 hours later, Ford motor told the dealership they believed it was caused by an outside collision and would not be covered by the bumper to bumper warranty. The dealership offered to replace at cost and suggested I contact the state attorney general’s office and try to mediate Ford’s decision. I made an appointment to replace both headlamps after the weekend at their earliest opening. I have kept the faulty headlamps. I believe Ford motor is trying to mitigate cost of a faulty product at the expense of public safety. The states attorney general attempted to mediate. However, a consumer affairs legal analyst from Ford wrote that the warranty was denied because the headlamp was damaged in a car accident. It was not.

Nhtsa safety defect report – 2023 Ford F-150 lightning tailgate light bar condensation my 2023 Ford F-150 lightning has moisture and condensation building up inside the rear tailgate light bar. It looks exactly like the issue described in Ford recall 23s30, also known as NHTSA recall 23v-418. Even though my VIN is not included in that recall, my truck is showing the same symptoms. The condensation collects behind the lens, especially around the reverse light section, and becomes worse after it rains or after I wash the truck. Lately, I’ve noticed the reverse lights flicker at times, which makes me think the moisture is getting into the electrical components. If the reverse lights go out or stop working properly, it becomes a safety concern because other drivers and pedestrians may not see that I’m backing up. This could easily cause an accident, especially at night or in parking lots. I brought the truck to a Ford dealer and was told that my VIN isn’t part of the recall and that I’m just outside of the 36,000-mile warranty. The truck currently has around 37,000 miles. They said they couldn’t replace the light bar unless Ford adds my VIN to the recall. The issue clearly matches the same defect Ford already acknowledged, which involves moisture getting into the tailgate light bar due to cracks or poor sealing. I believe Ford’s recall should be expanded to include more 2023 model trucks like mine that are having the same problem. It’s not an isolated case, and I’ve seen other owners reporting identical issues online with newer builds. Since this involves lighting that affects safety when reversing, it should be handled even if the truck is just outside warranty coverage. I can provide photos and a short video showing the condensation inside the light bar and the flickering reverse lights if needed.

Water intrusion into rear lightbar/back up/brake light assembly that has caused shorting of the back up lights and flashing of the brake lights. This is a known issue, NHTSA campaign 23v418000. Ford is refusing to cover replacement of this part.

Earlier this year, I filed NHTSA id 11663872 when I noticed moisture collecting in the brake light assembly on my truck and Ford called this "normal", despite earlier issuing a recall for this very thing happening under NHTSA action 23v-418. Now, the brake light has failed completely, and Ford is denying coverage of this under my extended warranty with the following explanation: "your claim is denied due to water intrusion. A subject matter expert advised that Ford and Lincoln protect will not participate in this claim as the lighting option only covers electrical failures on incandescent bulbs, halogen bulbs, high intensity discharge (hid) and [light-emitting diode] led lamp assemblies. A mechanical failure of a lamp assembly that allows water intrusion (fogging/moisture) is not a covered failure. A resulting electrical failure from this moisture/water would be consequential to the mechanical failure and would not be covered. " having inoperable brake lighting and possibly reverse lighting as well is an obvious danger to the public and there is no messaging system in the vehicle to tell you those components are not working properly, and clearly the previous recall campaign that replaced the lens assembly the first time did not work.

Defective rear light bar allowing water intrusion causing some reverse lights and brake lights to malfunction including a running rear white light shining into the face of drivers causing a safety hazard.

Rear light bar housing brake lights and backup lights have water inside the assembly. Water is causing shorting of the lights. It puts me and others at risk if it doesn't activate or activate at a bad time.

The rear light bar in the tailgate that also includes my back up lights is defective. The light bar was defective at delivery of vehicle and this is the second time this light bar has been deemed defective by a Ford dealership service department. The first repair on this defect was covered under a recall. This issue is a safety concern as it causes the rear light bar to flicker on and off and it has disabled the back up lights. There was no warning lights or alerts, I was pulled over by law enforcement and given a verbal warning to resolve the issue. The vehicle is currently at red mccombs Ford in san antonio, TX and Ford is denying any issue with the vehicle.

My f150 lightning won't drive wben put in drive. Then all the sudden it goes forward when not expecting it and we almost was in an accident. This happened many times and has been in service for over 3 months. They aren't able to fix it. We are trying to get them to take it back. The computer we noticed was defective the day after we bought it and inquired about it immediately. ?delayed engagement followed by a sudden lurch or unintended acceleration—matches several reports from other F-150 lightning owners. Because this vehicle is fully electric, "revving" effectively signals the electric motors to apply instant torque, which can lead to dangerous lunges if the software or sensors are out of sync. I mentioned the safety issues and it was not addressed our computer goes in and out and blacks out when driving. Anything you ask of it has not worked. This isn't the biggest deal but the safety issue. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that the rear lights on the vehicle were inoperable. The contact stated that the rear lights failed to function properly while attempting to reverse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear light bar had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The vehicle was recalled in October 2023 for water getting into the tailgate lens that could cause the reverse lights to malfunction. The vehicle was brought in for repairs on Jan 24, 2024. I notice that the tailgate lens has water in it now.

Rear light bar has water inside. Recall has not been fix since October 2025. Rear light flickering on and off. Been pulled over by the police.

A considerable amount of water intrusion has occurred in the rear light bar which is for braking and reverse lights. After taking it to my dealer, Ford has stated that unless water is "pooled" inside the unit this is normal, and that some condensation inside the assembly is "normal". I don't believe a sealed unit is supposed to have any water inside it, and this is the exact issue that lead to the recall campaign 23s30, which was performed on this truck in probably late 2023. I am concerned that this water will lead to malfunction as is happening to many other owners on the discussion forums, and I won't know.

Tailgate light bar was replaced under safety recall due to concern of moisture getting into housing. Replacement bar now shows signs of water in light bar after rain storm. Both red and reverse lights are flickering.

The rear light bar was replaced under warranty safety recall 23s30 on 10/19/2023. Subsequently the “new” light bar developed water in it and after a period of a month of flickering and partial illumination is fully out causing a safety issue with limited rear tail lights and reverse lights.

Vehicle lost electrical power to multiple systems- instrument cluster did not display any information- could not tell the speed of the vehicle, how much fuel was in the vehicle, gauges for coolant, oil, etc. Were non-existent, did not have use of turn signals, hazard lights, blind spot indicators, did not have use of wipers, heating/cooling and defrost, could not tell what gear vehicle was in, could not tell what mode the vehicle was in. This made the vehicle extremely dangerous to drive. There have been multiple electrical issues prior to this. All issues have been addressed by Ford dealer and supposedly fixed as of now.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway turned off and unattended, the contact became aware that all the interior and exterior lights were flashing. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA campaign number: 24v682000 (exterior lighting). The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and transferred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The part they replace the rear light bar that you have a recall for also fails in the exact same manner causing my reverse lights to stay on while driving.

Rear drivers side tail light occasionally pops out at highway speed.

Bought an electric truck in may of 2023 that is frequently malfunctioning while on the road. Turn signals and hazard lights becoming unusable. Gauges w/ speed are turning off and on while driving. All safety features become disabled. Video of multiple occurrences are available and have been submitted to Ford. Would someone please help me and atleast reach out to see the videos of what this truck is doing. I have extensive documentation of my attempts to get this vehicle repaired or off the roads through the bev specialist. My emails are ignored and my phone calls are put in endless loops before being hung up on. I have been trying for 6 months to get them to make my truck safe. I’m scared me and my family or possibly other motorist are going to be hurt if this situation is not fixed. I know I shouldn’t keep driving it but I have to get to work. Purchased an extended warranty for thousands of dollars but after taking to 3 dealerships multiple times a piece no repairs to the computer have been made and they literally have documented they are trying a temporary method for “testing” out unproven “wire overlayment” to bypass an issue with a harness bc they dont want to “condemn” an expensive module on the truck. The computers that control this electric vehicle are failing and I’m scared what is going to happen when if completely goes out while I’m driving at 70 on the interstate. If someone would please look at the service transcripts, my emails to Ford, and videos of this vehicle malfunctioning I would be sincerely grateful and appreciate any guidance.

The daytime running light is dim in on one side of the headlight, this is a very common issue with these trucks and Ford needs to do the right think and fix and recall this issue.

Rear tailgate light bar has multiple cracks.

4 or more different trailers some new some old, have been towed by our truck. With all of them the truck gave a warning that the right turn signal was out, when hooked up to a GMC sierra the taillights all worked fine. When this happens the brake lights go out and the blinker blinks quickly. While using a trailer with its own braking system, the truck gave a fault that the trailer battery was not charging and none of the lights worked, causing a huge safety concern when coming to a stop. After turning the truck off and back on it worked fine. We took it to a Ford dealer and was first told it was the trailer, they tried it on 3 trailers the tech had and the blinker issue happened on 2 of the 3. Then they told us our trailers were too old. We refused to take it back without further diagnostics. They performed a bcm update. The next time we hooked up a trailer was this past weekend and the same issue occurred. We are hesitant to bring it back in as we need the vehicle and last time the dealership had it for over 15 days. I due to the nature of the issues, the problem either lies in the connector, wiring, trailer control module or worse case scenario the body control module. Ironically my husbands job recently bought a Ford f550, an employee driving it while pulling a trailer said it did the same thing but with the left blinker. They hooked that trailer to a chevy truck and all worked fine. This is clearly an issue with Fords trailering system. What steps should we take to get this fixed. We haul a lot of trailers. The truck has just over 5000 miles on it.

Problem with instrument panel, instrument display, dashboard. When turning on the vehicle, it does not present any information, black screen with a faint light on the edge. I turn on, turn off and drive the vehicle and the information does not return. The main screen of the center works normal, the vehicle does everything normal, even heard.

Instrument cluster is freezing. No listed speed or any vehicle driving information while the vehicle is moving.

Driver's side tail light has moisture within the housing and intermittently fails to work. This is a similar issue to the light bar across the tailgate that was recalled and repaired, but Ford has no open recall on the tail lights. Dealership estimated a $3000 repair with no admission of manufacturer's defect. Obviously a non functioning tail light/turn signal is a safety risk and also opens the driver to being stopped/ticketed/fined.

In this vehicle the instrument panel is an electronic display. This display did not show any controls, speedometer, mileage, warning lights, etc. It was black, with only the backlight on. This morning (Jan 10) on my way to work I noticed my instrument panel was not working. The screen was completely black instead of displaying the normal information (charge level, speed, etc).